The volume of international commerce has grown significantly in the recent past. Whereas once only large multi-national companies imported/exported goods across borders, the growth of the Internet and e-commerce has lead to many small business and individuals shipping goods internationally.
The prevalence of on-line merchants and the reach of the Internet has facilitated shopping and purchasing on a worldwide basis. Thus, individuals in any number of countries can readily purchase goods on-line. Various package delivery providers (“carriers”), such as UPS, provide worldwide delivery of such purchased items in a timely and cost-effective manner. Thus, an individual in Europe can readily purchase a good, such as a book, from the web site of a U.S. merchant or vice versa. Whereas prior international purchases were usually accomplished by companies using financial instruments known as “letters of credit”, individuals today can purchases goods using a credit card, allowing the good can be purchased, picked, packed, and delivered to a package delivery provider or carrier within 24 hours of receipt of order.
International goods shipment, however, is relatively more complex than shipping goods domestically. International shipping requires a number of documents that are not required domestically. First and foremost, a commercial invoice is required. The commercial invoice indicated the purchaser and seller of the goods, and what exactly is being conveyed. The contents of the commercial invoice are prepared by the shipper (consignor). In the above example, the web-based merchant would prepare the commercial invoice, along with other necessary documentation, and prepare the package for delivery by the package carrier.
The merchant may be familiar with the procedures for handling an international shipment, and may rely on various services provided by third parties. For example, customs agents and other providers may assists in the proper completion of the forms. If the merchant has shipped the information previously, then the merchant may be familiar with the necessary procedures and have possession of the required information. The consignee (e.g., the recipient of the package) typically is not required to perform any special actions in order to accept the package.
It is not uncommon in transactions between the merchant and the buyer that the goods are deemed unsatisfactory, for any number of reasons. The merchandise may not be suitable for the purposes intended, or no longer needed. For whatever reasons, the purchaser, after accepting the package, may decide to return the good to the seller. Now, the purchaser becomes the shipper of the good and the merchant is the consignee (the recipient of the package). This places the purchaser in the position of having to ship the goods internationally back to the merchant. Further, the purchaser must know comply with the various requirements associated with international shipping. One of these requirements is to provide a proper commercial invoice.
In order to facilitate international return of goods, systems and methods are required for assisting purchasers of these goods in returning the goods.